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criticism

criticism

56 3.0
Careful judgment about the strengths and weaknesses of something
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/
translation icon : crítica
  • He felt demotivated by the harsh criticism of his performance in the play.
  • constructive criticism
  • cultural criticism
  • theory-driven criticism

And this leads us to a criticism of both CBT and Stoicism.

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Examples

  • Thank you for that constructive criticism.

  • In general, men can handle criticism a lot, a lot better.

  • Artists have to handle criticism.

  • Still, without his constructive criticism, none of us would ever get anywhere.

  • I realize without criticism, I can't grow.

  • I get the same criticism almost all the time from philosophers.

  • That's a very healthy relationship to criticism, I think, and a mature one.

  • Why don't you offer some constructive criticism?

  • The artist welcomed all forms of criticism, believing it would help her improve her work.

  • Receiving constructive criticism can be beneficial for personal and professional growth.

Synonyms

assessment
vscriticism
474 2.8

A decision about how good someone's work or skills are

is more focused on merits and faults analysis than broad scoring
evaluation
vscriticism
329 3.7

A careful decision about how good or valuable something is

focuses more on judging merits and faults rather than general worth
critique
vscriticism
108 5.6

A detailed written or spoken opinion about a work such as a book

is the broader careful judgment of merits and faults beyond art
condemnation
vscriticism
56 5.5

A strong statement saying someone or something is wrong

is a careful judgment aiming to balance merits and faults rather than harsh blame
critical analysis
vscriticism
4 5.1

A close study of a text or work of art to judge its strengths and weaknesses

is the general act of careful judging across items not only texts
critical review
vscriticism
1 4.1

An article that says if a book, play, or film is good and explains why

is the general act of careful judging not limited to essays or articles
critical appraisal
vscriticism
1 6.3

A careful step-by-step check of information to decide how useful or true it is

is a general careful judgment of merits and faults
unfavorable judgment
vscriticism
  • US
6.8

An opinion or decision that says something is not good

is a careful analysis that can be neutral and note both merits and faults

Antonyms

220 1.0

A sign that someone thinks a person or thing is good

Compounds

A habit of judging yourself harshly for your actions or abilities

Very strong negative comments that show disapproval

A study that explains what books mean and how good they are

textual criticism
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A study of different copies of a writing to find its original words

A sudden large amount of criticism aimed at someone or something

1 9.5

A study by experts of Bible texts to find who wrote them and when

Small unkind complaints about unimportant things that do not help

lower criticism
  • Archaic
9.9

A study of old Bible copies to find the original text

Very harsh comments that make someone feel hurt

new criticism
  • Archaic
9.5

A way of studying literature that focuses on a text's language and form, not the author's life or history

How Analytical

to critique
48 6.7
criticism
56 3.0
evaluation
329 3.7
to review
  • Literature
252 2.9
to comment
589 1.7

Surface Forms

criticism singular
criticisms plural

Morphology

criticism = critic (transparent) = critic + ism

The sense 'careful analysis and judgment' follows directly from 'critic' + '-ism' as the activity or practice of making judgments.

Etymology

Criticism comes from a Greek root krit- that means 'judge', the same root as critic and critique. So in this sense criticism is a careful 'judgment' where someone looks at the good and the bad to help improve something.